Yearly it’s the identical story. Gamers transfer on to new challenges: some to new groups, some to new cities and a few with out hockey of their future for the primary time of their lives. It’s an enormous adjustment and every participant handles it in their very own manner. One factor that this group all shares are the reminiscences of pulling on the Northeastern sweater (and attending to put on these candy crimson tarps from time to time), and taking the ice at Historic Matthews Area in entrance of a few of the finest followers in faculty hockey.
So with that in thoughts, it’s time to say goodbye to our graduates.
Grad College students Molly Griffin, Lily Yovetich and Katie Davis.
Seniors Taze Thompson, Skylar Irving, Taylor Guarino and Tory Mariano.
I’ve had the chance to speak with a few of these beauties and it’s been my absolute pleasure to look at them play the final 4+ years. The widespread thread by all of them is how a lot all of them love their teammates and after they say that you just “play for the crest on the entrance of the jersey and never the identify on the again” that’s speaking about these Huskies. Selfless, hard-working and understanding of the second of time that they’re in and what meaning to the generations of gamers after them. Simply absolute legends, all of them.
Regardless that they do the whole lot as a group, I’m going to spotlight them one by one. As they are saying when constructing a group, I’m going to work from the backend out.
Tory Mariano #4 Protection. A real get up D and a participant that you could rely on evening after evening and recreation after recreation. The previous couple of years she’s confirmed a capability to leap up into the play and transfer into the function of veteran chief as she was tabbed to talk to the media pool on various occasions. Mariano additionally had the flexibility to play a ability recreation and in addition do the soiled work within the corners and tread that advantageous line with out going over it (solely 19 penalties in her profession). I’m additionally going to level out that she’s clearly a superb sport as she was the sufferer of a Jumbotron take-down by the whole squad over her music preferences. Simply an absolute gamer.
Taylor Guarino #3 Protection. It takes a particular type of participant to be a wholesome scratch. It’s simple to have your self a pity celebration and undercut what the group is attempting to realize and say “hey I ought to be on the market”. That’s the straightforward route. What’s arduous, and never many are in a position to do it, is to ACTUALLY put the group first and perceive that everybody contributes and you continue to should carry it at observe and assist the squad and be prepared for once you get the nod. That’s what Guarino has accomplished and he or she’s set an instance for the whole group (for the whole league) on easy methods to be a superb teammate and to be prepared once you get on the market. And when she did get on the market? No drop-off within the group’s protection. Speak about an unsung hero.
#16 Lily Yovetich Protection. An absolute legend. Earlier than I discuss her recreation play, I need to inform a fast story about Yov. A number of years again, I used to be in a position to carry my daughter into the locker room after a recreation and Yovetich bought down on one knee and talked to my then 6 12 months previous daughter and ask if she was enjoying, did she need to play sooner or later and so on. It was in all probability a 7-8 a method convo and he or she didn’t want to try this. It meant a lot to my daughter that she by no means forgot it (plus the truth that Yovetich is from Cali) and it wasn’t like Yovetich knew who I used to be, or who my daughter was, it was only a real good second. Now let’s discuss her on-ice persona. Should you’re going to inform me that the good girl within the locker room is utilizing opposing gamers as pin cushions and tackling dummies on a nightly foundation I wouldn’t have believed it. Simply an absolute weapon on the market. Bodily, tenacious and leads the dance celebration after each victory. Yov got here on the podcast and it was nice attending to know her, and don’t ever neglect that I known as her purpose.
#19 Katie Davis Ahead. Speak about a pleasant portal shock. Davis got here to NU by way of Minn-Duluth and appeared as if she’d been right here for 4 years already. A whole energizer bunny on the Munchkin Line, she labored tirelessly on the issues that nobody desires to do. Arduous back-checking, dogged fore-checking, shut-down minutes in opposition to the opponent’s prime strains: Only a good hockey participant that does her job. Davis was at all times in the proper spot together with her stick within the lane defensively or prepared for the outlet on the offensive rush. If she was within the NHL she’d be that participant that each group tries to amass for the playoff run, keen to work their tail off and doesn’t care about something however the Dub. I didn’t get to know Davis, however the smile on her face was clear from the press field. She is the kind of participant you want in any hockey program.
#8 Molly Griffin Ahead. Very like Guarino, Griffin is a particular individual to tackle the function of the additional ahead, and accomplish that whereas rocking the A on her sweater! Really a magnificence. Griffin performed (I imagine) on each line this season. Speak about a plug-and-play sort of participant. She slot in on the Munchkin Line, could be on the market banging with the Nailguns and will skate within the prime 6 as effectively. A real Swiss Military knife of a participant. So, Griffin is one other one among my daughter’s favourite gamers as a result of this 12 months throughout an autograph session, Jules Constantinople supplied to signal the group pic for my daughter “throughout Molly’s brow”. My daughter vehemently mentioned no (and understood that Jules was joking), however rooted for Molly from that day on. Each time she noticed #8 come over the boards, she was chanting Molly-Molly-Molly. Only a nice angle and actually a group first participant.
#88 Skylar Irving Ahead. The Mayor of Kingston – poor Skirvs, I dumped that nickname on her throughout her freshman 12 months and I’ve ridden that horse into the bottom. Such a superb sport about it too, so I need to say thanks to your persistence. Let’s speak wheels, holy smokes can 88 scoot. I bear in mind the top of her freshman 12 months when you would nearly see the opposing coaches wanting on the lineup playing cards saying “the pre-scout didn’t say she was THIS quick”. As her time at NU progressed the remainder of her recreation caught as much as her pace. She used that pace as its’ personal weapon and a approach to create area for herself and her linemates. Irrespective of who she was on the market with, if it was an enormous second – Irving excelled. Her Beanpot purpose will reside on in my (and 10K different followers) reminiscences without end and it could be nice to see her dad lastly get that QR code tattoo. The factor for me about Irving, is that regardless of the circumstance she has the god-given capacity to remain cool. By no means was the second too large, she by no means gripped the stick too tight, by no means bought caught up in any of the scrums: she was simply on the market being HER. In my minds’ eye, I can see Irving take that little hop step as she breaks over the crimson line and the OH SHIT response from the defender realizing that her hole was waaaaaay to large.
#44 Taze Thompson Ahead. Final however actually not least; it’s the captain. Thompson transferred over from Harvard (she’s depraved smaht) and instantly had an influence on the ice and amongst her teammates. Only a true chief in each sense of the phrase; she set a terrific tone for this group. One other participant that may adapt her recreation to no matter is required, I can clearly bear in mind one among her first video games the place she continued proper to the whistle dumping an opposing defender behind the web on the closing horn. I may also bear in mind many examples of her doing all of the little issues proper: a terrific communicator on the ice, going arduous to the web and at all times being prepared in each second. A real coach’s child. Thompson leaves NU undefeated within the Beanpot Event (should be one thing about prime-time gamers excelling in prime-time moments). Taze was form sufficient to advocate a e book that my spouse and daughter have learn a number of time (and luxuriate in every time) and I’ll miss seeing her “wash her fingers” after the anthem.
Good luck to all of you and all of us want you nothing however success in no matter your futures’ maintain. And talking of the longer term, wherever you end up, we’d like to have you ever on Breaking The Glass Hockey Podcast to have a catchup down the highway. It doesn’t matter what your path, we’d like to have an replace. And if you happen to haven’t heard of Breaking The Glass, it’s a podcast that’s strictly about ladies’s hockey. We’re 3 episodes in and beginning to discover our rhythm. Myself, Linda Lundrigan and Kelly Dyer Hayes carry our ideas and opinions on the whole lot concerning the ladies’s recreation. You may acknowledge one among these beauties throughout our opening montage. As we mentioned on the podcast, please like, share and subscribe; and if you happen to might inform 100 of your closest pals that’d be nice.
So, till our paths cross once more: a lot like to all of you and better of luck in your adventures.
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